The $600,000 Meadowlands Pace was won by A Rocknroll Dance (9-2) and driver Yannick Gingras by 1¹/₂ lengths over Pet Rock in 1:48 1/5 Saturday night at the Meadowlands Racetrack. Allstar Legend was third.
Driver Jim Morrill, Jr. left hard with Allstar Legend (102-1) and made the front, but Gingras wanted the lead with A Rocknroll Dance and got it while parked to the quarter in :26 4/5.
“Jim [Morrill] was not really happy I was on the front, but I set that horse up the last couple of weeks and I knew he had a big mile in him tonight,” Gingras said.
A Rocknroll Dance ($11.40) was not challenged throughout the race, easily giving Gingras his first victory in the Pace.
“I’m very pleased with the way he raced,” Gingras said. “My horse felt super.”
Possible contenders for the $1.5 million Hambletonian were on display with impressive performances in the Del Miller Memorial for 3-year-old trotting fillies and the Stanley Dancer Memorial for 3-year-old trotters.
Check Me Out, the 1-2 favorite, took the $245,500 Miller in 1:51 3/5, setting a world record for 3-year-old trotting fillies.
Trainer Ray Schnittker, who watched his filly easily wire the field, said before the race that depending on how she raced, he would decide whether to race her in the Hambletonian Oak against fillies or take on the colts in the Hambletonian.
“She’s just a killer and she’s a lot better from off the pace,” Schnittker said. “Probably, right now I’m leaning towards the Hambo, but I’ve got to do a little more thinking.”
Check Me Out paid $3.00 to win.
The two Dancer divisions were won by Uncle Peter and Little Brown Fox, both trained by Jimmy Takter.
Uncle Peter wired the field in the first division for $150,500 by 1¹/₂ lengths over Banker Volo in 1:53 1/5. Appomattox was third.
Uncle Peter paid $2.80 to win.
The $153,000 second division was taken by Little Brown Fox (23-1) in a stakes-record 1:51 2/5.
With no challenges throughout the mile, Little Brown Fox easily scored the 3¹/₂ -length victory over Guccio. Possess The Will was third.
Little Brown Fox returned $49.60 to win.
dlittle@nypost.com